St. John's University Athletics
Friday, April 22
Queens, N.Y. (Jack Kaiser Stadium)
3 p.m.
St. John's University
14-24, 0
8
vs
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Butler
18-21, 0
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9
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Butler
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St. John's
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11
1
St. John’s Takes Series Opener from Butler, 8-6
4/22/2022 7:34:00 PM | Baseball
Joe Joe Rodriguez picked up his second win of the season
QUEENS, N.Y.- The St. John's baseball team defeated Butler, 8-6, in the series opener on Friday afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium.
For the second straight game, Carlos Hidalgo led the way at the plate, tallying two RBIs, while Kevin Michaels paced the Johnnies in the hits department with three base knocks and an RBI.
Colin Wetterau and Chris Conniff each recorded two hits and one run scored apiece. Conniff also added an RBI in Friday's win. Jackson Tucker went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a team-high two runs scored.
All starting hitters reached base at least once, and all but one starters notched a base hit.
On the mound, Joe Joe Rodriguez picked up his second win of the season for St. John's (14-24, 1-6 BIG EAST), tossing 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and no earned runs. Chuck Sanzio picked up his sixth save of the campaign in a one-out effort to extinguish a comeback effort by Butler (18-21, 2-5 BIG EAST).
The Johnnies opened the scoring right away in the home half of the first. Tucker led off the frame with an infield single to the shortstop before scoring on a Ballestero double down the right-field line to put the Red Storm in front, 1-0.
Butler responded with a run of its own in the top of the second to even the score at one. Ryan O'Halloran reached first on a hit-by-pitch before scoring on a wild pitch three batters later.
St. John's answered back with another run in the bottom of the third to regain the lead, 2-1. Michaels ripped a triple to the gap in right-center before scoring on a Hidalgo RBI groundout to restore the Red Storm's one-run edge.
The Johnnies added to their advantage in the fourth, plating three runs to widen the gap, 5-1. Paul Orbon and Colin Wetterau started off the inning with back-to-back singles before both runners advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Conniff cashed in on the opportunity with a base hit to center to plate Orbon. Tucker brought Wetterau home with an RBI fielder's choice to the shortstop. An infield single and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Hidalgo, who got hit by an errant fastball to score the third run of the frame for the Red Storm.
Butler added a run in the seventh and eighth to cut into the deficit, 5-3.
St. John's tacked on three more runs in the last of the eighth to restore the comfortable margin, 8-3. Conniff got the rally started with a single up the middle before Glancy drew a walk. Conniff and Glancy advanced to third and second, respectively, on a wild pitch before the former scored on a throwing error by the Butler catcher. Ballestero followed up with a base-on-balls before Michaels slashed a base hit through the right side of the infield to score Glancy. Ballestero scored from third on a wild pitch to give the Johnnies a five-run edge heading into the ninth.
The Bulldogs mounted a furious comeback attempt in the top of the ninth. The first four Butler batters of the frame alternated between walking and striking out before Travis Holt punched a base hit to right field to get the Bulldogs within four, 8-4. With two runners on and two outs, Sanzio came in for the save. Despite giving up two more runs, Sanzio settled himself and got the final out to secure the series opener and the first conference win of the season for the Red Storm.
St. John's and Butler will resume the three-game series at Jack Kaiser Stadium tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
For the second straight game, Carlos Hidalgo led the way at the plate, tallying two RBIs, while Kevin Michaels paced the Johnnies in the hits department with three base knocks and an RBI.
Colin Wetterau and Chris Conniff each recorded two hits and one run scored apiece. Conniff also added an RBI in Friday's win. Jackson Tucker went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a team-high two runs scored.
All starting hitters reached base at least once, and all but one starters notched a base hit.
On the mound, Joe Joe Rodriguez picked up his second win of the season for St. John's (14-24, 1-6 BIG EAST), tossing 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and no earned runs. Chuck Sanzio picked up his sixth save of the campaign in a one-out effort to extinguish a comeback effort by Butler (18-21, 2-5 BIG EAST).
The Johnnies opened the scoring right away in the home half of the first. Tucker led off the frame with an infield single to the shortstop before scoring on a Ballestero double down the right-field line to put the Red Storm in front, 1-0.
Butler responded with a run of its own in the top of the second to even the score at one. Ryan O'Halloran reached first on a hit-by-pitch before scoring on a wild pitch three batters later.
St. John's answered back with another run in the bottom of the third to regain the lead, 2-1. Michaels ripped a triple to the gap in right-center before scoring on a Hidalgo RBI groundout to restore the Red Storm's one-run edge.
The Johnnies added to their advantage in the fourth, plating three runs to widen the gap, 5-1. Paul Orbon and Colin Wetterau started off the inning with back-to-back singles before both runners advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Conniff cashed in on the opportunity with a base hit to center to plate Orbon. Tucker brought Wetterau home with an RBI fielder's choice to the shortstop. An infield single and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Hidalgo, who got hit by an errant fastball to score the third run of the frame for the Red Storm.
Butler added a run in the seventh and eighth to cut into the deficit, 5-3.
St. John's tacked on three more runs in the last of the eighth to restore the comfortable margin, 8-3. Conniff got the rally started with a single up the middle before Glancy drew a walk. Conniff and Glancy advanced to third and second, respectively, on a wild pitch before the former scored on a throwing error by the Butler catcher. Ballestero followed up with a base-on-balls before Michaels slashed a base hit through the right side of the infield to score Glancy. Ballestero scored from third on a wild pitch to give the Johnnies a five-run edge heading into the ninth.
The Bulldogs mounted a furious comeback attempt in the top of the ninth. The first four Butler batters of the frame alternated between walking and striking out before Travis Holt punched a base hit to right field to get the Bulldogs within four, 8-4. With two runners on and two outs, Sanzio came in for the save. Despite giving up two more runs, Sanzio settled himself and got the final out to secure the series opener and the first conference win of the season for the Red Storm.
St. John's and Butler will resume the three-game series at Jack Kaiser Stadium tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rodriguez, Joe Joe (2-4)
L: DREES, Derek (3-1)
S: Sanzio, Chuck (6)
Batting:
2B: HOLT, Travis 2
RBI: HOLT, Travis 1 ; O'HALLORAN, Ryan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: GARGANO, James 1 ; HOLT, Travis 2 ; O'HALLORAN, Ryan 1 ; MILANO, Dominic 2
SB: O'HALLORAN, Ryan 1
CS: GARGANO, James 1
HBP: O'HALLORAN, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Ballestero, Tate 1 ; Michaels, Kevin 1
3B: Michaels, Kevin 1
RBI: Tucker, Jackson 1 ; Ballestero, Tate 1 ; Michaels, Kevin 1 ; Hidalgo, Carlos 2 ; Conniff, Chris 1
SH: Tucker, Jackson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tucker, Jackson 2 ; Glancy, David 1 ; Ballestero, Tate 1 ; Michaels, Kevin 1 ; Orbon, Paul 1 ; Wetterau, Colin 1 ; Conniff, Chris 1
SB: Tucker, Jackson 1
HBP: Tucker, Jackson 1 ; Michaels, Kevin 1 ; Hidalgo, Carlos 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
cf/rf
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
OF/RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC
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